You may have heard about 4-time Grammy winner Sam Smith’s recent weight loss – he lost 14 pounds in 14 days. Anytime a celebrity loses weight quickly the media is all over it. What’s his secret? What fad diet is she doing? Eating clay (ala Shailene Woodley)? Avoiding carrots (grrr that one really gets to me)?
I’m happy to report that Sam took inspiration from Amelia Freer’s book: “Eat. Nourish. Glow.” Freer is a nutritionist who “encourages clean, home-cooking: ‘The key is about it being real, getting back in the kitchen, cooking from scratch, making sure they are not relying on junk processed convenience food,’ she told ABC News last week.”
I was so excited when I heard this story because I totally relate to Freer’s approach as it’s very similar to my strategy for my family, and for my clients. Focusing on cooking easy, healthy, delicious food is so much more sustainable than a crazy diet where you’re depriving yourself (& the deprivation usually involves cutting out certain healthy foods as well). Processed, packaged foods may be convenient, but they will wreak havoc on your health & weight when you rely on them too often. They are usually high in added refined sugar, unhealthy fats and preservatives. I’m so excited that a healthy approach to weight loss and healthy living is getting some attention in the media!
I was talking to my mom about this story the other day, and she’s lost 12 pounds over the last year, and my dad has lost 9 pounds. Since I’ve become a nutritionist I always share what I learn with them, and over the last year, they’ve changed their approach to eating, which is similar to Freer’s approach. For the most part, they completely avoid packaged, processed foods, and focus on cooking meals from scratch using healthy ingredients.
They start their day with fruit and a green smoothie (spinach, pineapple, banana, ginger, & turmeric), have plenty of raw vegetables and a lean protein for lunch and cook a fresh, healthy home-made dinner (usually one of my recipes:). Their dessert is a combo of walnuts, sunflower seeds, coconut and some real maple syrup. My parents also rarely eat out. Eating out at restaurants should be a treat. While some restaurants are making their options healthier, most things that you order at a restaurant are high in sodium, sugar, unhealthy fats and preservatives.
If you want to make a change, and start living a healthy lifestyle it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s all about going back to the basics – cooking meals from scratch using fresh, healthy ingredients, and learning about healthy alternatives. Check out the recipes on my blog, and give one of them a try this week. It’s all about turning unhealthy habits into healthy ones!
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